CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois dominated Northwestern on the State Farm Center in spherical two of what ought to at all times be a carefully contested “rivalry” sport. Wednesday evening was a forgettable chapter in that sense, as a result of Illinois put collectively its most complete performance in convention play.
And it’s the most important margin of victory in convention play this season, the most important earlier than? An 81-55 win over Rutgers. That win was lower than a month in the past.
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That’s how bruising this Fighting Illini group has been in 2025-2026.
To contextualize Wednesday evening’s bashing of the Wildcats, with round six minutes to go in the primary half, Illinois’ three-point capturing proportion almost eclipsed the group’s subject aim proportion, 56% to 57%— and it’s not like Illinois wasn’t capturing threes. In truth, in the primary half, they went 11-for-22 from past the arc.
“With multiple threats on the court at once allows us to play with a certain freedom and trust, and sharing the ball like we did tonight just gets us open looks,” Andrej Stojakovic mentioned after the sport.
Stojakovic ended the evening because the group’s main scorer with 17 factors. And 5 Illini ended the evening in double figures. Ivisic ended the evening with 12 rebounds.
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During the waning moments of the primary half, with lower than 5 seconds to go, Illinois held the final possession. The ball floated to Keaton Wagler. He sprinted in the direction of midcourt, however earlier than he even obtained there, he chucked one up.
Naturally, the shot went in… as a result of of course it did.
That’s the sort of evening Illinois had on Wednesday.
A 12-1 begin to convention play is this system’s greatest begin to convention play because the 2019-2020 season. Their 12-game win streak is the longest in the Brad Underwood period and the very best since 2012-2013. With Wednesday evening’s win, the Illini clinch a 20-win season for the seventh straight yr.
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This season has continued to etch itself in the historical past books amongst some of the very best Illini seasons.
“They are a vastly superior team than us,” Northwestern coach Chris Collins mentioned after the sport. “They’re doing what a really good team tends to do, they’re getting better.”
A change in defensive philosophy has paid off
This season, the Illini have emphasised their paint protection, even when meaning giving up a pair extra open three-point appears.
“Math,” Underwood mentioned. “It’s just math. Layups and close-end shots are a much higher percentage shot.”
Despite the success of that new methodology, Illinois head coach Brad Underwood had a tough time coming to phrases with a brand new defensive philosophy that the workers launched forward of the season.
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“We had to be better; we did. And as good as we were about taking away three’s, there were still some things that were lacking. And the personnel that we were trying to recruit were going to force us to do some stuff,” Underwood mentioned. “I was the hardest one to convince. We held teams without a three sometimes.”
It needed to be a mixture of Cam Crocker, who’s in his first season as a defensive coordinator for Illinois, and Zach Hammer, a longtime assistant coach who performed the largest function in convincing Underwood that this alteration in philosophy was obligatory.
“I had to buy into it, I had to stop barking every time somebody gave up a three and made it. And just understand that for the long term, this is what we gotta be good at,” Underwood mentioned.
Underwood noticed the fruits of that labor on Wednesday evening.
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David Mirkovic held Nick Martinelli to 4 factors, the bottom factors scored this season, with 4. Before Wednesday evening, when he was averaging 24.6 factors per sport. Crocker has labored extensively with Mirkovic, who already has a excessive IQ, to work on his protection.
Underwood sees it as him hitting a rising interval and taking away his freshman tendencies. Wednesday evening was one other instance of that.
“They did a good job, they pushed him off his spots,” Collins mentioned.
Added Stojakovic: “We knew he was going to come out aggressive, especially in that second half… Obviously, players like that, we’re never going to stop completely. Mirk did a good job on that, but I was one of the many keys that it took to win.”
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Offensive philosophy?
Three is greater than two.
The group is so good at three-point capturing that they don’t actually look after groups getting a pair of additional open appears from past the arc. Of course, that’s half of the defensive philosophy. But you already know what helps? Illinois can reply with one other three… And they have a tendency to make them.
They completed capturing 50% from three on Wednesday.
Simple analytics. Plus, it appears they’ve all the important thing cogs to create a complete roster.
“Coach reminds us every day that it’s a rebounding battle,” Mirkovic mentioned. “That’s one of the biggest reason’s were on this streak.”
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They additionally unfold the ball round lots.
“We have so many good weapons, and we have freedom, Tyler [Underwood] lets us play and find solutions,” Mirkovic mentioned.
Finding options has been what Underwood has persistently praised about this group.
A complete group
This 12-game win streak has been a end result of lots of resiliency from this group. But they’re made up of the appropriate stuff. And have gained as a complete group.
“Tomi doesn’t get enough credit for how good a screen he sets and the angles he sets,” Underwood mentioned. “He’s always talking.”
Underwood sees Ivisic because the quarterback.
Versatile massive? Check.
A Zvonimir Ivisic that may bash one or two buckets away from opposing groups.
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Shot blocker? Check.
Stojakovic tends to step up in opposition to lower-quality convention opponents. But his worth has elevated on the defensive facet of the ball.
A dude who can drive to color and draw fouls? Check.
A do-it-all freshman phenom?
Oh… Meaning Keaton Wagler? Check.
And that’s simply naming a couple of.
The stakes will proceed to get larger when Illinois takes on No. 10 Michigan State for an additional consequential Big Ten sport this Sunday.